(a) Technical Field
The present invention relates to a foot of a robot, and more particularly, to an apparatus for a supporting foot of a robot which maintains stability of the robot by providing a foot module having an extendable surface area.
(b) Background Art
Technologies relating to walking with legs, including technologies for biped walking, are used in the development of walking robots and wearable robots. One of the key challenges of developing walking robots is to ensure the dynamic stability of the robots during walking.
Common methods of ensuring dynamic stability can prevent a robot from falling down, for example by designing a foot having a wide sole, but use of such a foot may interfere with walking behavior.
As another method, it is possible to sense a ZMP (Zero Moment Point) by mounting a force sensor on the sole of a robot foot, and to provide a stopper protruding from the foot and having an actuator. However, the force sensor and the actuator are expensive to provide and consume a large amount of power for operation. Additionally, the force sensor and actuator must respect various limits imposed on the design the foot module, including fitting within the layout constraints.
According to Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2012-0070009, titled “walking pattern of a biped robot”, support members are provided that slide and move in accordance with the positions of the feet of the robot. The sliding and movement, however, can interfere with walking.
The description of related art provided above is geared to helping understand the background of the present invention, and should not be construed as necessarily relating to prior art.